Afternoon and early evening—1:00 PM to 8:00 PM—typically delivers better exercise performance than morning sessions (8:00 AM to 10:00 AM), especially for short, high-intensity workouts. For endurance training, however, there is little evidence that any specific time of day yields superior results.
This performance discrepancy largely stems from the body’s core temperature, which peaks in the evening hours. A higher core temperature boosts exercise performance by enhancing metabolic reactions, increasing connective tissue flexibility, reducing muscle viscosity, and speeding up the conduction of action potentials in muscle fibers. Notably, cooling the core with a cold shower before an evening workout has been shown to impair muscle strength and repeated sprint ability.
While evening workouts may have a natural performance edge in a baseline state, consistent morning training over time can offset this innate circadian variation. Research shows that participants who stick to a fixed morning or evening training schedule experience similar gains in strength and muscle hypertrophy. This underscores a critical principle: consistency in your training time is far more important than the time itself. For anyone aiming to maximize performance, the key is to choose a time that fits your schedule and stick to it rigidly.
Beyond sticking to a fixed workout window, several strategies can minimize circadian fluctuations in exercise performance:
Training in a warm, humid environment
Completing a proper, structured warm-up
Consuming caffeine before exercise
Listening to music during your warm-up
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